Newsletter

UPDATE: City seeks feedback on downtown tourism

The city of Savannah initially proposed surveying only downtown residents about tourism, but now is inviting any resident to complete a survey on improving the balance between tour services and quality of life issues.

A city-organized task force has spent a year analyzing downtown tourism and growth.

Now, they’re ready to hear what residents think.

Beginning today, residents can fill out an online survey.

The Tourism Advisory Committee early last year began reviewing whether historic downtown was being inundated by too many trolleys, carriages, walking tours and similar attractions, and city officials were beginning to consider regulations to limit access and hours to help maintain the balance between business and residential.

The committee, comprised of various business and historic interests and residents, looked at the often-conflicting issues of preservation, quality of life, tourism and visitor experience. Vaughnette Goode-Walker, owner of Footprints of Savannah Walking Tour, chaired the committee.

Even among the committee members, there were areas of division. The nearly three dozen responses were almost an even split over questions of whether tours were too numerous and whether operators should have a medallion system to limit the number of tour companies.

Charlie Brazil, general manager of Old Town Trolley, participated in the discussions. Of the six markets Old Town operates in, including San Diego, Boston and Key West, Savannah’s is the only one that doesn’t limit entry into the marketplace.

He sees advantages in controlling the market, but also believes concerns about too many tour vehicles need to be balanced against drawbacks to limiting operators.

“One trolley replaces 20 vehicles,” he said. “If you think trolleys are inconvenient, let’s put in 20 tourists who don’t know where they’re going or are looking for parking.”

The committee’s responses also overwhelmingly favored ending tours on weekends and weekdays at 11 p.m. or midnight rather than 9 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. That was only a question posed in the survey, and no change is being recommended based on those responses.

Residents will have until Dec. 10 to take the survey. Those results will be compiled and will be presented with the committee’s larger findings to the City Council in a workshop early next year.